Story Summary: For example, as a 40-year-old white male, Quake began with a 16 percent lifetime chance of developing prostate cancer. Quakes genome cost about $50,000 to sequence using a Heliscope sequencer from Helicos BioSciences It was double-checked using an Illumina Inc sequencer. HAPPENING FOR THE AVERAGE GUYI think it will come to the point where this is happening for the average guy, Ashley said in a telephone interview. and the analysis could be run with the click of a mouse at any time . While Quakes cholesterol levels were healthy, the genes made Ashley think twice. Plus Quake had a distant relative who had died suddenly in his sleep at the age of 19. Checks of other genes showed Quake would respond well to cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, and that he was unlikely to have an unusual side-effect from the drugs. The experience with Steve Quakes genome shows we need to start thinking — hard and soon — about how we can deal with that information, Greely said in a statement. Who will provide skilled interpretation of whole-genome sequence to millions of patients? Oil giant BP vowed to stem the gushing undersea leak and promised to pay for the cleanup in what is quickly becoming the worst oil spill in U. S. history. The heartland is hot for financial firms looking to cash in on growing world food needs. But critics say Wall Streets hayride is a dangerous land grab that risks transferring valuable resources from the poor to the wealthy. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbookwhich requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbookwhich requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Common steroid medications hold promise for tissue repairMay 3, 2010 A class of drugs commonly used for asthma, inflammation and skin injury also may hold promise for tissue-repairing regenerative medicine, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers. We found that these common compounds could help to produce populations of (nerve-repairing) neuronal stem cells anad may even have a protective effect on the new stem cells, which could assist in tissue repair processes, said senior author Wei Chen, Ph. This discovery may pave the way to better therapies for conditions from spinal cord injury to neuron degeneration. They found that these glucocorticoid drugs — especially fluticasone, halcinonide, clobetasol and fluocinonide — stimulated a receptor called Smoothened, which in turn helped to stimulate stem cell growth and protect neuronal cells. Chen said Smoothened works by activating the Hedgehog pathway, which in turn regulates stem cells, and is important in embryo growth and mature tissue integrity and repair. Researchers and clinicians have not found any evidence of cancer association with glucocorticoid drugs, Chen said. The PNAS paper is a proof of principle that the glucocorticoids used in asthma might work for asthmatic tissue remodeling in lung injury models, Chen said. No one thought that fluticasone could help asthmatic patients because it might be doing something to protect new cells. Using medicinal chemistry, we hope to be able to create effective and safe compounds that will be new tools for the science of regenerative medicine, Chen said. Theyve been able to break apart human prostate tissue, extract the stem cells in that tissue, and . . . This leads to progressive damage of different tissues and organs. This leads to progressive damage of different tissues and organs. 51 minutes ago | not rated yet | 0 | Brain changes associated with the most common cause of mental retardation can be seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of children as young as one to three years old, according to a study by researchers . . . 13 minutes ago | not rated yet | 0 Suicidal behavior in adults taking anti-depressants does not vary depending on what medication they are on, according to a study released Monday….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Credit: Volker BrinkmannLupus is a disease where the immune system attacks healthy cells of the body. This leads to progressive damage of different tissues and organs. Little is known about the origin and the pathogenesis of this disease. Diagnosis is difficult because many symptoms are common with other diseases. After a flare the health of the patient improves but often there are sequelae, resulting in a continuous exacerbation of the disease. This NET (an acronym for Neutrophil Extracellular Traps) is composed of exactly those components against which a Lupus patient produces antibodies: DNA, as well as proteins of the nucleus and the white blood cells(fig. These are white blood cells and NETs in a lupus patient. The DNA in NETs is shown in blue; the antibodies binding to the NET are shown in red (fluorescence microscopy). Credit: Volker BrinkmannThe scientists also discovered that NETs are degraded by the enzyme DNase-1, a protein which normally is found in the blood. Further examination of this patient group revealed that the remains of NETs together with the auto-antibodies are deposited in the kidneys of SLE patients. Indeed, the scientists showed a strong correlation between the inability to degrade NETs in Lupus and a high risk of kidney failure. These results provide a starting point for the development of a test that might allow an early diagnosis and treatment of these high risk patients. The lead researcher behind the study has called for more patients to volunteer . . . The lead researcher behind the study has called for more patients to volunteer . . ….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Genetic makeup of Hispanic/Latino Americans influenced by Native American, European and African-American ancestriesMay 3, 2010 A new study from researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center found that the imprint of European colonialism and imperialism is evident in the genetic makeup of todays Hispanic/Latino American populations. Scientists discovered that Europeans, Native Americans, as well as West Africans brought to the U. S. and Latin America by the trans-Atlantic slave trade, have influenced the genes of the current Hispanic/Latino populations. However, a large variation in genes among individuals within each population were still found to exist. This ethnically appropriate genetic research will be critical to the understanding of disease onset and severity in the United States and in Latin America. It will allow for the development of appropriate genetic tests for this population. The scientists also found that the patterns of genesin the Hispanic/Latino populations were impacted by proximity to the African slave trade. In fact, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Columbians from the Caribbean coast had higher proportions of African ancestry, while Mexicans and Ecuadorians showed the lowest level of African ancestry and the highest Native American ancestry. Evidence was also found for Middle Eastern and North African ancestry, reflecting the Moorish and Jewish (as well as European) origins of the Iberian populations at the time of colonization of the New World. The Native Americans that most influenced the Hispanic/Latino populations were primarily from local indigenous populations. This leads to progressive damage of different tissues and organs. This leads to progressive damage of different tissues and organs. 51 minutes ago | not rated yet | 0 | A class of drugs commonly used for asthma, inflammation and skin injury also may hold promise for tissue-repairing regenerative medicine, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Treating battlefield injuries with light-activated technologyMay 3, 2010 Airmens traumatic battlefield injuries may be more effectively treated by using a new light-activated technology developed as a result of research managed by Air Force Office of Scientific Research and supported by funds from the Office of the Secretary of Defense. This new treatment for war injuries includes using a process or technology called Photochemical Tissue Bonding, which can replace conventional sutures, staples and glues in repairing skin wounds, reconnecting severed peripheral nerves, blood vessels, tendons and incisions in the cornea. Harvard Medical School professor and Massachusetts General Hospital Wellman Center researcher, Dr. Irene Kochevar and her colleague at Wellman, Associate Professor Robert Redmond are both pleased with the initial lab bench experiments that led to a pilot clinical study. An immediate, water-tight seal is formed between the tissue surfaces leading to reduced inflammation in the near term and better scar formation in the long term. We are approaching this challenge by identifying the basic molecular mechanisms responsible for light-activated crosslinking, she said. We believe that this information will show us how to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the nanosuturing technology on the battlefield. Even with microsurgery techniques, infection and permanent scarring remain major concerns. com) — Surgical adhesives, which can be used to seal tissues after an operation or to repair wounds, are becoming increasingly important parts of a doctors toolkit. Measuring just 50 microns thick, the film is placed on a surgical wound and exposed to an infrared laser, which heats the film . . . This leads to progressive damage of different tissues and organs….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: The disorder, whose cause has been a persistent mystery for nearly a century, strikes mostly young adults and disproportionately affects African Americans. The link between sarcoidosis and overproduction of the suspected protein trigger, called serum amyloid A, was revealed after a six-year investigation encompassing more than two dozen laboratory experiments, including some on diseased lung tissue samples from 86 patients in the Baltimore area. In a report published in February in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the Johns Hopkins scientists described their research on what was behind the microscopic clusters of inflamed tissue and white blood cells, or granulomas, which are a defining feature of sarcoidosis. In another series of experiments in mice, the team discovered that granuloma formation in the lungs sped up when the mice were given injections of synthetic serum amyloid A. Mice had previously been injected with specially coated plastic beads designed to trigger sarcoidosis-like lesions. Adding the synthetic protein led to the same biochemical reactions in the mice as observed in humans, suggesting to the researchers that serum amyloid A played a key role in triggering sarcoidosis. To better understand how serum amyloid A might be driving granuloma formation, the team used special antibodies to block various cell surface receptor sites where the protein would bind to the white blood cells and spur inflammation. But when left to bind on its own, without an antibody blocking TLR2, the open receptor could attach to serum amyloid A, and raised production of inflammatory chemicals would ensue. Not only have we shown that serum amyloid A is a key protein trigger in sarcoidosis, but we also have evidence that the resulting inflammation is dependent on binding the protein at toll-like receptor-2, which opens up a host of possibilities that drugs blocking this binding site could prove an effective treatment for this disease, says Chen, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Disease caused by insect bites can be transmitted to children at birthMay 3, 2010 A North Carolina State University researcher has discovered that bacteria transmitted by fleas-and potentially ticks-can be passed to human babies by the mother, causing chronic infections and raising the possibility of bacterially induced birth defects. Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt, professor of internal medicine in the Department of Clinical Sciences, is among the worlds leading experts on Bartonella, a bacteria that is maintained in nature by fleas, ticks and other biting insects, but which can be transmitted by infected cats and dogs as well. The most commonly known Bartonella-related illness is cat scratch disease, caused by B. henselae, a strain of Bartonellathat can be carried in a cats blood for months to years. berkhoffiinfection, which was also found in the other members of the family. Results of the parents medical histories and the microbiological tests indicated that the parents had been exposed to Bartonellaprior to the birth of the twins, and finding the same bacteria in both children, one shortly after birth and the other 10 years later, indicates that they may have become infected while in utero. Breitschwerdts research appears online in the April 14 Journal of Clinical Microbiology. The Department of Clinical Sciences is part of NC States College of Veterinary Medicine. More information:Molecular evidence of perinatal transmission of Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and B. henselae to a child Authors: Edward B. Breitschwerdt, Ricardo G. Maggi and Patricia E. Mascarelli, NC State University; Peter Farmer, Department of Pathology, North Shore University Hospital. But they dont expect to pass on viruses through those same genes. Six million people most of whom live in crowded and unhygienic . . . The classical characteristic of the disease is the so-called . . . 51 minutes ago | not rated yet | 0 | Brain changes associated with the most common cause of mental retardation can be seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of children as young as one to three years old, according to a study by researchers . . ….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: (NASDAQ: MRNA), a leading RNAi-based drug discovery and development company, today reported data demonstrating greater efficacy in tumor reduction in an orthotopic model of bladder cancerwith multiple combinations of two UsiRNAs as compared to single target therapy. PLK1, a protein involved in cell division and tumor progression, has been shown to play a role in cell proliferation in several cancer types. Our DiLA2 platform readily allows for formulation of two UsiRNAs into a single formulation and permits functional delivery to tumor cells. A multi-target approach is likely to be required for treatment of many cancers, and thus will be a key part of MDRNAs oncology pipeline. About MDRNAs Technology MDRNA has a broad intellectual property estate that encompasses four key RNAi technology platforms: siRNA constructs, chemistry, nucleic acid delivery, and gene targets. UsiRNAs are fully recognized by the RNAi machinery and provide for potent RNAi activity while specific placement of UNAs in a duplex siRNA minimizes potential off-target effects by the guide strand and reduces undesired passenger strand activity. Furthermore, UsiRNAs escape the surveillance mechanisms associated with cytokine induction, and provide protection from nuclease degradation. In addition, the platform is designed to permit attachment of various peptides and other targeting molecules to improve a variety of delivery characteristics. The MDRNA peptide nanoparticle platform includes exclusively in-licensed and developed IP surrounding the use of peptides for nanoparticle formulations that increase cellular uptake and endosomal release of siRNAs. MDRNA is currently biopanning its patented phage display library to identify additional peptides for targeted delivery, cellular uptake and endosomal release of siRNA. MDRNA owns or controls 17 issued or allowed patents, and has 36 pending patent applications, 125 pending foreign patent applications and 7 PCT applications. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to: These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months: Anti-Cancer Agent Stops Metastasis In Its Tracks15 Apr 2010Like microscopic inchworms, cancer cells slink away from tumors to travel and settle elsewhere in the body. Now, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College report in todays online edition of the journal Nature that new. All of these treatments have potential physical and emotional side effects….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: If we can identify among higher-risk individuals a potential biomarker that suggests additional investigation is warranted, such as a imaging, that has potential value – particularly if it leads to earlier detection and catching the cancer in an early stage, said Dr. Weiss, who also is director of Thoracic Oncology at TGen Clinical Research Services at Scottsdale Healthcare (TCRS). In addition, our collaboration will seek to identify better prognostic indicators for predicting the course of the disease and the prospects for recovery. Austin-based Asuragen is a leader in the development and use of microRNA technology to help find biomarkers that can pinpoint the genetic origins of disease. MicroRNAs are small molecules that regulate gene expression in the process of making proteins as well as directing the structure and function of cells. Asuragen is currently conducting a multi-institution study to develop a miRNA-based test for PDAC using fine needle aspirate specimens. Asuragen recognized the value of blood-based miRNA markers very early and has been working steadily to enable early detection of cancer in circulating biofluids using miRNAs. The only current prognostic in pancreatic cancer is a blood test for tumor markers known as CA-19-9. If we can identify biomarkers that improve on the performance of CA-19-9 as a prognostic test for disease relapse after surgery, that may be helpful in identifying those higher-risk individuals for new therapies that may prevent disease relapse, Dr. Weiss said. Contact Our News EditorsFor any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Follow Our News On Twitter:Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Long terminal repeats (LTRs) are a form of junk DNA – genetic material that has accumulated in the human genome over millions of years. This latest research has now demonstrated for the first time that these rogue active LTRs can drive the growth of cancer in humans. The work focused on cancerous cells of Hodgkins lymphoma (the Hodgkin-/Reed Sternberg cells) that originate from white blood cells (antibody-producing B cells). Hodgkin-/Reed Sternberg cells may not be the only cells that use this method to subvert normal controls of cell growth. The consequences of such widespread LTR activation are currently still unclear, according to the studys authors. It could also affect the stability of chromosomes of lymphoma cells, a factor that may explain why Hodgkin-/Reed Sternberg cells gain many chromosomal abnormalities over time and become more and more malignant. Notes:*De-repression of an endogenous long terminal repeat activates the CSF1R proto-oncogene in human lymphoma Bjorn Lamprecht1,2,10, Korden Walter3,10, Stephan Kreher1,2,10, Raman Kumar4, Michael Hummel5, Dido Lenze5, Karl Kochert1,2, Mohamed Amine Bouhlel3, Julia Richter6, Eric Soler7, Ralph Stadhouders7, Korinna Johrens5, Kathrin D. Wurster1,2, David Callen4, Michael F. Harte8, Maciej Giefing6,9, Rachael Barlow3, Harald Stein5, Ioannis Anagnostopoulos5, Martin Janz1,2, Peter N. Cockerill3, Reiner Siebert6, Bernd Dorken1,2, Constanze Bonifer3, and Stephan Mathas1,2 1Max-Delbruck-Center for Molecular Medicine, 13125 Berlin, Germany; 2Hematology, Oncology and Tumorimmunology, Charite University Medical School, CVK, 13353 Berlin, Germany; 3Section of Experimental Haematology, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Leeds, St. Jamess University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK; 4Breast Cancer Genetics Group, Discipline of Medicine, University of Adelaide and Hanson Institute, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia; 5Institute of Pathology, Charite University Medical School, CBF, 12200 Berlin, Germany; 6Institute of Human Genetics, Christian-Albrechts University Kiel & University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany; 7Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Department of Cell Biology, 3015 GE Rotterdam; 8Cytopia Research Pty Ltd, Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia; 9Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 60-479 Poznan, Poland. LTR fragments were originally formed by infection with retroviruses, a type of virus that can integrate their own genetic material into a host gene. The receptor that was observed to control cell growth in Hodgkin-/Reed Sternberg cells is known as CSF1R (the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor). One of the UKs largest medical and bioscience research bases, the University of Leeds is an acknowledged world leader in bioengineering, cancer, cardiovascular, epidemiology, genetic, musculoskeletal and psychiatric research. Treatments developed in Leeds are transforming the lives of people worldwide with conditions such as diabetes, HIV, tuberculosisand malaria. The University is one of the UKs leading research institutions with a vision of securing a place among the top 50 by 2015. This work was supported in part by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB/TRR54), the Wilhelm Sander-Stiftung, the Deutsche Krebshilfe, the KinderKrebsInitiative Buchholz/Holm-Seppensen, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, Cancer Research UK and Yorkshire Cancer Research. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to: These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months: Anti-Cancer Agent Stops Metastasis In Its Tracks15 Apr 2010Like microscopic inchworms, cancer cells slink away from tumors to travel and settle elsewhere in the body. Follow Our News On Twitter:Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Discover how two women went through treatment and what they did to cope….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Researchers are now discovering how biological networks change and are rewired in cancer. Investigations into the role of miRNAs in cancer up until now have largely focused on the function and expression of individual miRNAs, but miRNA function is more complex and interwoven. In some cases, they found that the highly connected miRNA hubs changed between cancer and normal tissues. They also identified even more extreme cases of tumour network changes. Groups of miRNAs go awry and exit from the social network altogether, Croce said. This work is particularly significant in that novel cancer genes have been discovered utilising a strategy based on relationships, rather than up or down regulation of expression. — full story– 23 August 2009Johns Hopkins scientists say they have figured out how bacteria that cause diarrhoea may also be the culprit in some colon cancers. — full story– 16 August 2009Scientists at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital have identified inherited variations in two genes that account for 37 percent of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), including. — full story– 16 August 2009Scientists at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital have identified inherited variations in two genes that account for 37 percent of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), including. — full story– 29 July 2009Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that they can engineer mouse and human cells to produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity. — full story– 29 July 2009Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown that they can engineer mouse and human cells to produce brown fat, a natural energy-burning type of fat that counteracts obesity….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: The team – which included scientists from Spain, UK, New Zealand, and Australia – found that three genes that were faulty more frequently in patients with the bone disease than in healthy people. It is hoped that the discovery will allow early detection of the disease and allow doctors to give preventative treatment before bones have become damaged. Dr Omar Albagha, who performed the study at the University of Edinburgh, said, These findings represent a major advancement to our understanding of the disease since, until now, only one gene was known to cause about 10 per cent of cases with Pagets disease. The three genes identified from this study contribute to 70 per cent of the disease risk – quite unusual in common diseases. Their effects are so powerful that they could be of real value in screening for risk of the disease. This is important since we know that if treatment is left too late, then irreversible damage to the bones can occur. Source: University of Edinburgh– 23 August 2009A diagnosis of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis is not much better than a death sentence: there is no treatment and the survival rate is less than three years. — full story– 23 August 2009Johns Hopkins scientists say they have figured out how bacteria that cause diarrhoea may also be the culprit in some colon cancers….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Humans and mice, frogs and flies toggle genes on and off in dizzying combinations and sequences during their relentless march from embryo to death. Now scientists seeking to understand the machinations of the proteins behind the genomic wizards screen have a powerful new tool at their disposal, courtesy of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. It used to be that people thought only the regions near the gene were important in controlling its function – in part because they had no way of assessing the impact of regions further away, said Gill Bejerano, PhD, assistant professor of developmental biology and of computer science at the medical school and Stanfords School of Engineering. Typically that data exists in the form of DNA binding sites for regulatory proteins called transcription factors that dictate the activity of genes. Each controls the expression of numerous genes by binding to specific regions in the genome. This makes it difficult for scientists to know exactly how any one transcription factor is acting, particularly if it works over long stretches of DNA. Or, conversely, theyll find an interesting gene and look for nearby transcription-factor binding sites. But recent research has shown that sections of DNA far away can also play an important role. You might figure out that sliding the lever on the toaster makes the toast pop up. And plugging it into the wall makes it get hot. But youre likely to overlook that vitally important black breaker switch on the wall behind you, or to dismiss it as inconsequential among all the other black items in the room that dont, in fact, control the toaster. In contrast, users of the GREAT algorithm, developed by graduate students Cory McLean and Aaron Wenger and software engineer Dave Bristor, will simply enter a list of all the binding sites theyve found throughout the genome for their transcription factor of interest. Some will be biologically meaningful, and some will be experimental flukes. The software program will then provide an analysis revealing not only which genes that transcription factor is likely to moderate, both near and far, but also in which developmental or molecular pathways it is likely to function. GREAT can look at thousands of binding sites and tell you things that your transcription factor is doing that have never been reported before. GREAT can look at thousands of binding sites and tell you things that your transcription factor is doing that have never been reported before….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Family Finder enables anyone, regardless of gender, to look for connections such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, half siblings, and first, second, third, and fourth cousins. This is the most exciting genetic genealogy breakthrough since 2000, when Family Tree DNA launched its Y-DNA test to uncover relatives in the direct paternal line, said Bennett Greenspan, founder and CEO of Family Tree DNA. The complete Axiom Genotyping Solution includes array plates, complete reagent kits, and an automated workflow that enables scientists to process more than 760 samples per week. Almost a decade later, the Houston, Texas-based company has a database with over 290,000 individual records – the largest DNA database in genetic genealogy, a number that makes Family Tree DNA the prime source for anyone researching recent and distant family ties. About AffymetrixAffymetrix technology is used by the worlds top pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotechnology companies, as well as leading academic, government, and nonprofit research institutes. More than 1,900 systems have been shipped around the world and more than 21,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published using the technology. Affymetrix is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. , and has manufacturing facilities in Cleveland, Ohio, and Singapore. affymetrix. Smart Multimedia Gallery The automated GeneTitan Instrument and Axiom Array Plates enable scientists to process more than 760 samples per week. Smart Multimedia Gallery The automated GeneTitan Instrument and Axiom Array Plates enable scientists to process more than 760 samples per week….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: (Nasdaq: ALNY), a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced today that the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued a notification of an intent to grant for the Manoharan II patent series (EP Application No 04 718 537), titled Therapeutic Compositions. The new patent includes 16 claims covering compositions and methods, including pharmaceutical compositions, for chemically modified siRNAs containing phosphorothioate and 2-O-alkyl modifications without any siRNA length restrictions. The claims for the newly allowed patent include those covering an siRNA of any length with: a sense strand having at least one 2-O-alkyl modification within a 6 nucleotide region of at least one of the ends of the strand; an antisense strand with at least one phosphorothioate linkage; and, an asymmetrical chemical modification design, where the modification in the sense strand cannot be used in the antisense strand. About Alnylam Intellectual Property (IP)Alnylams IP estate includes issued, allowed, or granted fundamental patents in many of the worlds major pharmaceutical markets that claim the broad structural and functional properties of RNAi therapeutic products. 7,078,196) issued in July 2006 and exclusively licensed to Alnylam from the Max Planck Society, which broadly covers methods of making siRNAs with or without chemical modifications; the Tuschl II 044 patent (EP 1407044), granted in January 2008 and exclusively licensed to Alnylam from the Max Planck Society, which broadly covers compositions, methods, and uses of siRNAs; the Tuschl II patent (JP 4 095 895) granted in May 2008 in Japan and exclusively licensed to Alnylam from the Max Planck Society, which broadly covers compositions, methods, uses, and systems of siRNAs; the Tuschl II patent (JP Application No. 9) in China which received an intent to grant in April 2009 and exclusively licensed to Alnylam from the Max Planck Society, which broadly covers compositions, methods, uses, and systems for siRNAs; the Kay & McCaffrey patent (AU patent application no. 2002326410) granted in February 2009 in Australia and exclusively licensed to Alnylam from Stanford University, which broadly covers methods and composition for RNAi therapeutics including siRNAs and shRNAs; and, many divisional and continuing patent applications pending of the aforementioned issued or granted patents and additional patent applications pending, including patents and patent applications covering inventions by Crooke, Fire & Mello (U. S. Patent No. In addition to fundamental patents, Alnylam is the exclusive licensee in the field of RNAi therapeutics for more than 175 issued chemistry patents owned or controlled by Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. broadly covering chemical modifications, including motifs and patterns of modifications of oligonucleotides, including RNAi therapeutics. These patents include: 2-Ribose modifications of oligonucleotides (Cook, U. S. Patent Nos. 10/560,336), which is owned by Alnylam; and, chemically modified siRNAs of any length with phosphorothioate and 2-O-alkyl modifications (Manoharan II, EP Application No. In addition to fundamental and chemistry patents, Alnylam is also the exclusive licensee in the field of RNAi therapeutics for certain delivery patents, including those owned and controlled by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation, broadly covering delivery of oligonucleotides, including RNAi therapeutics, with liposomal formulations. These patents include: formulations of oligonucleotides, including siRNAs, in cationic liposomes (Wheeler, U. S. Patent Nos. Alnylam is also contributing on a royalty-free/non-profit basis its technology and more than 1,500 issued or pending patents from its RNAi patent estate to the patent pool initiated by GlaxoSmithKline in 2009. In January 2010, BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) was chosen as administrator of patent pool. In this role, BVGH will organize disease-specific meetings that identify the gaps in expertise and intellectual property that currently exist in product development for NTDs, and will help global health researchers work with industry to fill these gaps to create medicines for NTDs faster and more efficiently. Alnylam and Isis are joint owners of Regulus Therapeutics Inc. , a company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of microRNA-based therapeutics….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: The funding was secured from current investors in the company. We are grateful for the continued support and confidence of our investors, particularly as we start the next step in our efforts to bring a better solution to burn and other skin trauma patients, said Lynn Allen-Hoffmann, Ph. No adverse events were deemed to be associated with exposure to StrataGraft(r)tissue in the Phase I/IIa trial. The companys flagship product, StrataGraft(r)tissue, is proceeding through a clinical trial designed to support U. S. Food and Drug Administration approval of StrataGraft(r)tissue for the treatment of traumatic skin loss. The companys valuable product pipeline is based on its patented NIKS(r)human keratinocyte cells and is comprised of the next generation of genetically-enhanced skin substitute products that have numerous advantages over skin substitutes generated from human skin sourced by conventional means. Stratatechs StrataGraft(r)tissue is a second-generation human skin substitute that exhibits normal human skin structure and function. Keratinocytes are the cells that make up approximately 90 percent of the epidermis, the outer layer of human skin. NIKS(r)cells are a consistent source of pathogen-free, non-tumor-producing, long-lived adult progenitor cells. NIKS(r)cells are a consistent source of pathogen-free, non-tumor-producing, long-lived adult progenitor cells….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Damage to DNA and the ability of cells to repair that damage has broad health implications, from aging and heritable diseases to cancer. Unfortunately, the tools used to study DNA damage are quite limited, but MIT researchers have developed a new tool for rapid DNA damage analysis that promises to make an impact on human health. The comet assay is based on the idea that during gel electrophoresis, a commonly used lab test in which an electric field is applied to DNA placed on a polymer gel, damaged DNA moves farther across the gel than undamaged DNA. Cells in the array can be individually addressed, which allows fully automated readout and replaces the tedious manual analysis. This setup allows dozens of experimental conditions to be tested on just one slide, and it enables slides to be automatically analyzed using custom-designed imaging software. The team is using knockout cell lines to determine which genetic deficiencies are detectable with their platform and to better understand the molecular mechanisms of DNA repair. They are also optimizing their system for human samples in order to study the DNAdamaging effects of the environment. This technology was designed not only to enable high throughput screening, but also to be compatible with basic laboratory equipment so that virtually any laboratory can use it. More information:Single cell trapping and DNA damage analysis using microwell arrays, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, week of May 3. com) — Every day people are exposed to chemical and physical agents that damage DNA. If it isnt repaired properly, this damage can lead to mutations that in some circumstances can lead to the development . . . The work could lead to drugs that break the link between the . . . The Effect of pulsed Microwaves on Bacteria9 hours ago We are interested in looking at the effect of the pulsing of microwaves subjected to power and time of eg 50W for 10 seconds at 2. 45GHz but pulsing the microwaves as well to investigate the added….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: The mouse model, which expresses the same mutant proteins as human Parkinsons patients, also displays early signs of constipation and other gastrointestinal problems that are a common harbinger of the disease in humans. As a result, researchers say, these animals could serve as a means of investigating therapies for reversing the neurological dysfunction of the disease at its earliest stages. Parkinsons diseaseis the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimers, affecting 1. Gastrointestinal dysfunction is a particularly common symptom, seen in 80 to 90 percent of patients, and often precedes the motor-control symptoms by 10 to 15 years. The current model, based on that research, is significant in having the same genetic mutation that causes alpha-synuclein to misfold in an inherited form of Parkinsons, causing the proteins to stick together to form insoluble fibrils in the nerve cells. Previous mouse models of the disease had relied on an over-expression of alpha-synuclein caused by a combination of human and mouse genes, according to the paper. The UCSF team created two new lines that only express the human form of the protein, with each line expressing one of two mutant forms that occur in human Parkinsons patients, according to lead author Yien-Ming Kuo, PhD, in the UCSF Institute for Human Genetics. In these lines, gastrointestinal dysfunction could be seen at three months of age, reached its highest severity at six months and persisted until 18 months, which follows the human course of the disease in sporadic Parkinsons, according to the paper. This suggests that, at least in mice with the human proteins, these gastrointestinal symptoms are an intrinsic defect caused by the mutant protein, rather than being caused by abnormalities in brain function, Kuo said. That knowledge could eventually help us test for the disease long before it starts to cause neurodegenerative problems and prevent them from occurring. It is also known that mutations in a protein called parkin cause a form of Parkinsons that is inherited. The classical characteristic of the disease is the so-called . . . 51 minutes ago | not rated yet | 0 | A class of drugs commonly used for asthma, inflammation and skin injury also may hold promise for tissue-repairing regenerative medicine, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers. 51 minutes ago | not rated yet | 0 | A class of drugs commonly used for asthma, inflammation and skin injury also may hold promise for tissue-repairing regenerative medicine, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: New research has uncovered two additional genes that may be involved with autism. Investigators will present their findings on Sunday, May 2 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Leis group identified mutations in four genes within the AGRE families. These results help the public understand that autism is a very complex disorder, much like cancer, Dr. Lei said, and no single gene or gene environment is likely to be causative in most cases. Dr. Lei will present the study results with Daniel A. Notterman, M. D. , M. A. , FAAP, professor of pediatrics, biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State College of Medicine. Dr. Notterman was associated with the faculty of Princeton University at the time these studies were performed. Members of these organizations are pediatricians and other health care providers who are practicing in the research, academic and clinical arenas. The four sponsoring organizations are leaders in the advancement of pediatric research and child advocacy within pediatrics, and all share a common mission of fostering the health and well being of children worldwide….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: (OTCBB: BJCT), a leading developer of needle-free injection therapy systems (NFITS), announced that the US Military Malaria Vaccine Program presented results of its study using the Biojector(r)2000 with a recombinant DNA vaccine at two recent conferences. A Cooperative Research and Development Agreement was signed with the Navy in April 2009 to work together on the study. Genetically based vaccines such as DNA plasmids and adenovirus vectors induce strong cell-mediated immunity, which is believed to be important in protection against the hepatic stage of malaria. The vaccine was developed by the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC) with support from USAID, the Congressionally Directed Peer Review Medical Program, and the Military Infectious Diseases Research Program. The DNA vaccine was manufactured by Vical, Inc, San Diego, CA and the adenovirus vaccine was manufactured by GenVec, Inc, Gaithersburg, MD. The vaccine was tested by the US Military Malaria Vaccine Program which is a joint service program of NMRC and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. The US military has been very supportive of our needle-free injection technology, using it in clinical studies, as well as commercial applications in their military immunization programs, said Dr. Richard Stout, Biojects Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. SourceBioject Medical Technologies Inc. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. In the industrial world the disease is virtually absent, but from now on that could change. Follow Our News On Twitter:Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: States and territories have also been asked to provide details on batch numbers and type of vaccine. Whether there are any implications for swine flu vaccineAt this stage there do not appear to be implications for the swine fluvaccine Panvax(r). Professor Bishops advice relates only to the seasonal flu vaccination program for children 5 years of age and under. Swine flu vaccination as alternative to seasonal flu vaccinePanvax(r) H1N1 vaccine only protects you against the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus. People can still be infected by seasonal influenza viruses circulating in the community. High risk categories include: – People aged 65 years and over; – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 15 years and over; and – Pregnant women. SourceTherapeutic Goods Administration Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. Contact Our News EditorsFor any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: In this study, the viral vector, or missile that carries the genetic material designed to correct a DNA mutation, was not intended to treat a disease but to demonstrate through the use of a fluorescent protein that a safe and effective viral cocktail could be delivered inside rod cells. The next major challenge that vision researchers face is to target these photoreceptor cells for treatment, as the majority of retinal degenerative diseases are caused by mutations that damage these cells. Efficient and specific rod transduction, together with preservation of retinal structure, was achieved with both mOP and hGRK1 promoters when viral titers in the order of 1011 vg/ml were used. Source: Jordan ReeseUniversity of Pennsylvania Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. Contact Our News EditorsFor any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Thyroxine (T4) is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that has four. Follow Our News On Twitter:Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. But does that mean a life of looking for lost glasses? But does that mean a life of looking for lost glasses? What Is a Cataract?When you reach a certain age, its usually clear that your vision isnt as sharp as it used to be. Learn how surgery for the cloudy lens of a cataract can restore vision….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: The mid-face includes the nose, upper lip, and the palate, or roof of the mouth. Its organizers anticipate that FaceBase will have a prototype ready within the next year and a fully functioning database soon after. The FaceBase project is the right initiative at the right time, said Francis Collins, M. D. , Ph. Scientists long have marveled at how bud-like colonies of embryonic cells form in the first weeks of pregnancy near the primitive mouth and, in communication with adjacent tissue, churn out a highly specialized work force of derivative cells. These cells make up the bone, cartilage, ligament, nerve, and soft tissue that parents will recognize several months later on their first sonogram as their babys head. On the molecular level at which nature works, scientists have lacked a comprehensive parts list of the genes and proteins that drive these embryonic cells to do great things. This includes primarily the communal crosstalk among dividing cells that prompt them to migrate, populate, and settle into compartments, and synchronize their self assembly into intricate, three-dimensional patterns as dissimilar as a salivary gland and the temporal bone of the skull. The NIDCR, recognizing this research need, began organizing FaceBase two years ago. Most will require a range of tools and expertise, allowing a more powerful research synergy to peel away the many layers of biological complexity and reach the essence of the question. The second is for each team to target its efforts at one specific aspect, or theme, of craniofacial development. This will allow the initiative to cast a more comprehensive research net that avoids duplication of effort. The research teams will coordinate their efforts through a designated FaceBase hub that manages data integration, data sharing and organizational needs. But FaceBase must mold its content to the specific interests and needs of craniofacial researchers. It also includes learning how best to display thousands of visual images of tissue morphology, or shape, after a specific gene has been disrupted in zebrafish, mice, and other organisms, a standard approach to determine a genes function. D. , an NIDCR scientist who administers the FaceBase initiative, said the end result of the database and research consortia will be well worth the effort. The principal investigators on the FaceBase Consortium grants are: Jeffrey C. Murray, University of Iowa and Mary L. Marazita, University of Pittsburgh FaceBase Management and Coordination Hub Axel Visel, University of California – Lawrence Berkeley Lab Genome-Wide Atlas of Craniofacial Transcriptional Enhancers project Leah Rae Donahue and Stephen Murray, The Jackson Laboratories Genetic Tools and Resources for Orofacial Clefting Research project Scott E. Fraser, California Institute of Technology Functional Analysis of Neural Crest and Palate: Imaging Craniofacial Development project Linda Shapiro, University of Washington Shape-Based Retrieval of 3D Craniofacial Data project David Clouthier and Kristin Bruk Artinger, University of Colorado, Denver; and John Postlethwait, University of Oregon Identification of miRNAs Involved in Midfacial Development and Clefting project Richard Spritz, University of Colorado Genetic Determinants of Orofacial Shape and Relationship to Cleft Lip/Palate project Steven S. Potter, Childrens Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati Global Gene Expression Atlas of Craniofacial Development project Terri H. Beaty, Johns Hopkins University Oral Clefts: Moving from Genome-Wide Studies Toward Functional Genomics project Yang Chai, University of Southern California Research on Functional Genomics, Image Analysis and Rescue of Cleft Palate project Mary L. Marazita and Seth Weinberg, University of Pittsburgh 3D Analysis of Normal Facial Variation: Data Repository and Genetics project Source: Bob Kuska NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. Contact Our News EditorsFor any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. During their investigation of one of these genes, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis were surprised to find that cleft palate occurs both….Read the Full Story

Story Summary: Another area where knowing genome data might help is where risk factors interact: for instance, to what extent might a patients obesityor smoking interact with a genetic factor that protects or puts them at higher risk of heart attackor diabetes?For the study, the researchers used information from the complete genome sequence of Dr Stephen Quake, who is the Lee Otterson Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford, and who last autumn hit the headlines when he announced that use of a new technology had enabled him to sequence his own genome for under $50,000, which he also published. Quake told the media that:Were at the dawn of a new age in genomics. Investigation into Quakes genome began when the 40-year old, apparently healthy man, asked Ashley what he thought about a piece of information from his genome that showed he was at risk for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited condition where the heart is enlarged, doesnt beat properly, and puts the carrier at risk of sudden cardiac death. This rang alarm bells fro Ashley, who runs Stanfords Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Center: putting the two pieces of information together, the genetic and family history, he recommended Quake be screened for the condition. Where would they start?Then we realized, said Ashley, we already have someones genome. And, another lucky break was that co-author Dr Atul Butte, assistant professor in bioinformatics at Stanford, and members of his lab had already done a lot of the information sorting because they had spent one and a half years cataloguing information about links between certain SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and particular diseases. However, when the algorithm started to factor in the information from Quakes genome, the prostate cancerrisk first went lower, and then went higher, eventually after incorporating information from 18 different SNP variants derived from 54 studies, Quakes risk of developing prostate cancer came out at 23 per cent. When they did the same thing for his risk of Alzheimers, the pattern went the other way. 4 per cent, because of the protective factors indicated in his particular Alzheimers related SNP variants. But the most alarming information was his obesity, type-2 diabetes and coronary artery diseaserisks: these came out at over 50 per cent, and we also know that there is a chance that they can affect each other. Quake said that while he was curious to know everything that his genome could tell him about his own disease risks, it was important to recognize that:. not everyone will want to know the intimate details of their genome, and its entirely possible that this group will be the majority. The researchers said this study is proof of concept that whole-genome sequencing offers clinically useful information for doctors helping individual patients. Euan A Ashley, Atul J Butte, Matthew T Wheeler, Rong Chen, Teri E Klein, Frederick E Dewey, Joel T Dudley, Kelly E Ormond, Aleksandra Pavlovic, Alexander A Morgan, Dmitry Pushkarev, Norma F Neff, Louanne Hudgins, Li Gong, Laura M Hodges, et al. The Lancet, Volume 375, Issue 9725, Pages 1525 – 1535, 1 May 2010DOI:10. Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News TodayAny medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. Please send any medical news or health news press releases to: These are the most read articles from this news category for the last 6 months: Do Genes Play A Role In PTSD?…Read the Full Story

Story Summary: (NASDAQ: ROSG), a leading developer and provider of microRNA-based molecular diagnostic tests, announces the publication of a study showing microRNA expression differentiates between primary lung tumors and metastases to the lung. The study, entitled, MicroRNA expression differentiates between primary lung tumors and metastases to the lung, was published in the online edition of Pathology Research and Practice on April 28, 2010. According to the study, The tissue-associated expression of microRNA likely explains the remarkable finding that many tumors can be classified based solely on their microRNA expression signature. In addition, early preclinical data has shown that by controlling the levels of specific microRNAs, cancercell growth may be reduced. About miRview ProductsmiRview products are a series of microRNA-based diagnostic tests developed by Rosetta Genomics. miRview squamous accurately identifies the squamous subtype of NSCLC, which carries an increased risk of severe or fatal internal bleeding and poor response to treatment for certain targeted therapies. miRview meso diagnoses mesothelioma, a cancer connected to asbestos exposure, from other carcinomas in the lung and pleura. The companys tests are now being offered through distributors around the globe. SourceRosetta Genomics Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. SourceRosetta Genomics Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional. Contact Our News EditorsFor any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Contact Our News EditorsFor any corrections of factual information, or to contact the editors please use our feedback form. Follow Our News On Twitter:Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account. Follow Our News On Twitter:Get the latest news for this category delivered straight to your Twitter account….Read the Full Story